


Ain’t Life A Beach

by GotAnIssueHeresATissue



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Shy glances, beach, solangelo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-13 07:03:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18935848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GotAnIssueHeresATissue/pseuds/GotAnIssueHeresATissue
Summary: Dragged along to the beach, Nico anticipates a day of the too-hot sun, sand in his pants, and an annoying, noisy crowd. What he finds are all those things, but at least there’s a cute lifeguard too.





	Ain’t Life A Beach

 

 

  Nico di Angelo was in the backseat of the car filled with beach stuff and his friends’ chattering. They actually had the gall to wake Nico up before eleven in the morning during summer holidays, which was absolutely unheard of. Still, he was the idiot who let himself get convinced by them that they should go to the beach, so there he was, squished by beach necessities and stupid water soakers that even Annabeth couldn’t convince Percy to leave behind.

  

  Right now, the car’s air-conditioning kept him alive, but he could practically see the heat waves that they were going to spend the day baking in. Nico wasn’t know for being very outdoorsy especially after certain personal and family circumstances that he wasn’t going to get into basically crushed any desire he had to leave the house. 

  

  His once tanned and olive Mediterranean skintone was now more pale and washed out, though his friends’ unrelenting support was slowly but surely bringing him out of his shell again. Even if it involved an hour’s drive in a cramped car just to get sand in his swimming shorts at a hot, crowded beach.

  

  They arrived, and the six of them spilled out of the Annabeth’s borrowed family car. Hazel, Nico’s half-sister, and her boyfriend Frank Zhang hadn’t joined them because they had a pre-planned movie date, but they promised that they would definitely join next time. 

  

  “Hurry up, I wanna get a decent spot!” Percy bounced on the balls of his flip flip-clad feet excitedly.

  

  “Why don’t you actually help carry your dumb water guns, then?” Nico grumbled, struggling with a picnic basket and four soakers.

  

  ”They’re called super soakers, for your information, and they’re not dumb. It’s a must-bring to the beach!” Percy scoffed, taking them from the Italian.

  

  There was a crowd, but it wasn’t that bad so they still had ample space to freely lay out their stuff. It was quite a beautiful day. Although the noon sun beamed from the bright azure sky with all it’s might, light sea breeze rustled their hair and clothes, occasionally carrying cotton clouds in front of the sun to keep the rays from getting too hot. Seagulls cawed and waves rolled onto the shore in rhythmic crashes. 

  

  They set up in a convenient spot between the sea and the beach concession stand. 

  

  “Oooh, we’re near the lifeguards.” Leo’s grinned and gestured to their right, and they all turned to look. “Not bad this year too.”

  

  Three lifeguards in sunglasses and red swimming attire with white crosses on them stood around the nearby lifeguard tower, keeping watch of the water and visitors. The only female lifeguard had short, flaming red hair with parts dyed green and sun-kissed skin, while one of the male lifeguards had dark hair in cornrows and was the darkest-skinned of the trio. They were both, for lack of a better word, hot. 

  

  The last lifeguard, however, Nico couldn’t tear his gaze from. His eyes roamed appreciatively from the head of blonde curls and smile that practically glowed in the sun, down his shirtless, athletic body that exhibited the training and physical condition that lifeguards had to maintain. 

  

  Angels sang to Nico when that lifeguard turned that megawatt smile towards their group and waved. He vaguely noticed his friends waving back but he was paralysed, then realised the roaring sound in his ears wasn’t from the sea, but from the blood sent rushing to his face from his pounding heart. 

  

  “You alright there, Nico?” Piper’s tone was knowing.

  

  Nico quickly nodded, hiding behind his too-long black hair and fiddling with unpacking their stuff.

  

  They all pulled off their outerwear to lather on sunscreen, but only Nico put his windbreaker back on. Percy and Leo immediately raced towards the water each with a super soaker in hand. Annabeth shook her head, a smile on her lips. Jason and Piper decided to take a walk along the beach, promising to be back soon so they could all get ice cream. Annabeth and Nico sat under the beach umbrella, both reading a book they had brought. Well, Nico was actually trying to inconspicuously stare at the lifeguard using the book as cover. He didn’t come to the beach often, so he needed to burn the image into his memory while he had the chance.

  

  Cold, salty water splattered over them suddenly, ripping shocked gasps and indignant complains from the pair. Leo and Percy laughed, high-giving each other. 

  

  “Come on, do you guys come to the beach to read?” Percy called, pumping up his weapon again. 

  

  “Perseus Jackson, don’t you dare—“ Jets of water hit them again, Nico on his windbreaker-covered shoulder, but Annabeth was interrupted with seawater in the face.

  

  Nico wordlessly handed a super soaker to her after she wiped the water off her face.

  

  “I’ll be back in a bit, Nico.” Annabeth nodded to Nico before turning to the snickering pair. “You guys are so _dead_.” She promised, grey eyes glaring but with some mirth. 

  

  They ran off towards the sea, and Nico set their wet books to dry in the sun. It didn’t take long for Annabeth to betray Nico, and the three of them were back, soaking wet and with full water guns— aimed at Nico. 

  

  “No wait, let’s talk—“ He was cut off by three streams of water shot at him. 

  

  “Take your jacket off and join us in the water, or we’ll bring the water to you!” Leo grinned once they stopped spraying him to pump up the weapons.

  

  ”Thanks, guys.” He glared at them, water dripping from his hair. “But really, no thanks. I’m fine right—“ 

  

  They kept spraying him between sputtered shouts of “Stop”, “Please”, and “Mercy”. When they finally stopped, Nico was drenched. He stood and peeled off the wet windbreaker, tossing it on the ground with a wet splat and leaving him in his black trunks. 

  

  “You all _suck_.” 

  

  They laughed and dragged Nico to the sea with the remaining super soaker. The water was quite nice, the sun keeping it warm enough to swim, and Nico was a pretty good aim with the water gun. He admitted that the super soakers were a good idea, but not out loud, of course. They had an all-out water spray war until Jason and Piper came back from their walk, then they took a break to get some ice cream.

  

  They huddled under the umbrellla, slowly drying off and eating their sweet treats on the beach towel. They decided to go back into the water and play with the beach ball, and split into two teams of three. Nico and Piper were with Percy while Annabeth and Leo teamed up with Jason. Percy was stupidly good at water games for some reason, so he managed to carry their team to victory by one sudden death point.

  

  Leo was hungry again and Nico didn’t have much stamina, so they opted out. The two couples started another match and the Italian decided to just float around in the sea while Leo went to get food. 

  

  Nico watched two seagulls that looked like they were dancing in the air as the wind had picked up, gliding around each other in dips and turns. A sudden tug at his body snapped him out of his birdwatching and sent him underwater. The brunette quickly resurfaced and noticed that he had drifted quite far away from his friends and the shore, and that he was quickly being pulled further out to sea.

  

  Panic gripped him, and he started trying desperately to swim back to shore. Nico wasn’t a strong swimmer, but he was no match against the current. He was still gliding further and further out no matter how hard he kicked and splashed. He spat out the seawater that went into his mouth from breathing so hard, and his efforts to get back to shallow water was in vain as he was moving faster out into open water. Salty water stung his eyes and throat, he tried calling out to his friends, but the beach was too noisy and no one could hear him. He thought he heard a series of whistle blasts piercing the air between the waves splashing over his head.

  

  Nico’s body was getting sore from the vigorous swimming, and he started to find it difficult to keep his head above the water. Fear and exhaustion were starting to make his limbs heavy, and tears sprung to further sting his eyes at the thought of drowning. His mother and sister’s funerals, his attempts at making his father recognise him even though Bianca had been his favourite child, his struggles and resolving of past unrequited feelings for Percy and coming to terms with his sexuality flashed before him like the fastest and longest movie he had ever seen. 

  

  He tried with all the remaining strength in him to resurface for a breath each time, but he was starting to breathe in salty water with air now, and it burned in his chest. Waves crashed over his head, and as he felt like the water was about to close over him for the last time, Nico found himself wrenched back to the surface and grabbing onto a bright red rescue buoy. He violently coughed from inhaling water, and gasped for air, steady hands still holding his arms. He looked up and met the striking baby blue eyes of the blonde lifeguard he had been gawking at earlier.

  

  “Hey, I’ve got you. You’re safe, I’m a lifeguard,” the blonde lifeguard smiled, and Nico swore the emotions in him were definitely choppier than any sea. He wanted to punch himself for noticing the sprinkle of freckles across his nose and shoulders.

  

  His heart was beating faster than when he was being pulled away by the sea, and when he’d been so close to drowning. There was a new pain in his chest, this one being a huge ball of fear, gratitude, relief, and basically adoration. If the lifeguard hadn’t been looking, if he hadn’t noticed Nico, he would likely be fish food somewhere by now. Sure, it was his job, but still.

  

  “Thank you…” The raw emotion in his voice made him cringe inwardly. 

  

  “No problem! Let’s get you back to the beach, alright? Hold on to these rails for me.” 

  

  Nico nodded, doing as he was told, and his heart jumped when the lifeguard draped an arm around him to secure him on the rescue buoy, then started swimming diagonally towards the shore. 

  

  He talked to Nico all the way, which made him wonder just how physically fit this lifeguard was. He told him that the Italian had been caught by a rip current, and if that happened, he should try swimming parallel instead of against the current, or to just conserve energy to stay afloat and call for help. He asked about Nico’s name and age, and Nico answered before returning the question just as their feet touched the sand and they started wading through the water onto the beach.

  

  ”We’re the same age! I’m Will Solace, volunteer lifeguard at this beach during the summer. Nice to meet you, Nico di Angelo.” The bright grin from earlier was now directed only at him, and not him and his friends as a group.

  

  His friends had gathered before they had fully exited the sea. “Oh, thank the gods!” Piper’s voice shook as she enveloped him into a crushing embrace, the others following suit.

  

  “Guys! I’m fine!” Nico was sure his ribs were bruised.

  

  Piper turned to Will. ”Will, was it? Thank you _so_ much.” 

  

  “It’s what I’m here for,” Will was still smiling at Nico, which was not helping his somersaulting heart.

  

  “We’ve got to repay you somehow, can we treat you to a dinner at least?” Annabeth said what they were all thinking. It was getting to be kind of late.

  

  Will finally turned his gaze away and blinked at the group. “That’s not necessary, it’s literally my job.” 

  

  “Please?” Nico piped up. “You saved my life, it’s the least I can do.”

  

  Will’s cheeks turned rosy. “Well… If you’re sure. You really don’t have to, though.”

  

  ”I want to,” Nico was on a roll, he would never normally try to so assertively treat a stranger to dinner. 

  

  ”Okay, so— I’m off duty at five, and there’s a seafood place within walking distance from here, it’s pretty good and prices are reasonable.” Will’s hands were fidgeting with the rescue buoy almost shyly.

  

  Nico nodded in approval.

  

  “Oh, shoot.” Annabeth snapped her fingers. “Leo, Percy and I were talking about craving cheeseburgers for dinner, so we were going to eat at the burger joint later. You guys should go ahead to the seafood place, though.” 

  

  Percy frowned. “We were?” 

  

  “ _Yes_ , Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth bit through gritted teeth. “Remember?”

  

  “Jason and I were also planning to try that cute little Italian place we saw on our walk earlier,” Piper added, “so I guess it’ll just be Will and Nico for seafood. We can meet up after dinner to go home?”

  

  ”Hey, wait a min—“ Nico was cut off.

  

  ”Sounds like a plan! What do you say, Will?” Annabeth smiled.

  

  Will returned the grin, somewhat livelier than before. “I’m totally fine with that, is it okay with you, Nico?”

  

  “Um.” Nico was defenceless against Will. “Yeah.”

  

  ”Great! I’ll see you at five, then.” With a final wave, he jogged back towards the lifeguard tower and the two other lifeguards.

  

  Nico whirled on the two girls. “What was that?!”

  

  ”You’ve got a date with the hot lifeguard who saved your life!” Piper’s eyes were practically sparkling. 

  

  The three guys burst out in whoops. “Way to go, Nico!” Jason winked cheekily.

  

  ”So _that’s_ what the cheeseburgers were about!” Percy laughed.

  

  “Wha— What date??” he blushed.

  

  ”With how much you were staring at him, I’m surprised you didn’t notice him constantly sneaking looks back at you.” Annabeth smirked with folded arms.

  

  “… Really?” Nico glanced at the lifeguard tower, and caught Will quickly looking away. 

  

  They made their way to their picnic basket for some late lunch. There was still three hours until Will was off-duty, and Nico was nervous as heck, but unbelievably excited at the same time. He had a date with Will Solace the lifeguard, even if all it took was almost drowning.

**Author's Note:**

> I recently watched Malibu Rescue on Netflix, and this came to mind lol! Please forgive any mistakes or inconsistencies, I’m not a lifeguard, but I watched some Bondi Beach Rescue before. 
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment! Let me know if there was anything you liked or hated about this, and if it’s the latter, maybe some constructive criticism? I live to improve my writing any way I can! Thank you for reading :3


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